Video: Cronyism, Corruption, Opportunity and Conservative Reform

Former Labor Secretary Lynn Martin had a great line in her speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention that she aimed directly at that year’s morally suspect Democratic candidate, Bill Clinton: “You can’t have one kind of man, and another kind of president.” The principle has a larger application as well: You can’t have one kind of culture, and another kind of government. Or, you can’t have one kind of people, and another kind of economy.

BarbWire covers the news regarding the cultural decay that is all around us. No one should be surprised that similar rot is found in increasing measures in our government at all levels. Linked below are three recent speeches that make the case that there is even such a thing as legalized corruption.

Adam Andrzejewski is a successful businessman in Illinois who started “Open The Books,” an organization dedicated to bringing to light how our tax money is spent. What they have been uncovering is just what you’d expect — it’s not a pretty picture. Last month Andrzejewski spoke at “The Charleston Meeting” and reported on some of his group’s findings. His presentation can be watched here.

Following him, Democratic strategist Pat Caddell got up and spoke, opening with this:

“Adam (Andrzejewski) just explained what I’ve been waiting for someone to do — which is (to show) just how corrupt all of this is — from top to bottom.”

In recent years Caddell has been speaking out forcefully as a critic of both the media (see an example here) and of government corruption. His speech at The Charleston Meeting can be watched here.

Our final video, embedded in this article, was given by U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) at the Heritage Foundation this past week. Here is how Heritage summarized his talk:

Compounding America’s crises of economic immobility and insecurity is the growing crisis of crony capitalism. When the federal government twists policy to privilege special interests at the expense of taxpayers, consumers, and economic growth, America loses more than just jobs. Conservative anti-cronyism reform is essential to restore a free enterprise economy of, by, and for the people.

Here is just one of the many good lines in Sen. Lee’s speech:

What we’re left today is a warped economy increasingly built on connections instead of competitiveness.

Videos

Quotes

“If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions.” —James Madison (1792)